


The Next Best Thing

by iberiandoctor (Jehane)



Category: Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Match-making, Sacrifice, Yuletide Treat, breaking up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:07:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21925675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jehane/pseuds/iberiandoctor
Summary: If the Old Lady couldn’t have Jacqueline Ling marry Philip Young, she could at least see to it that Jacqueline’s daughter married Philip’s beloved son.
Relationships: Eleanor Young & Nick Young
Comments: 12
Kudos: 95
Collections: Yuletide 2019





	The Next Best Thing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dialux](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dialux/gifts).



Eleanor heard the news while she was having her hair styled and pinned up in its usual formal evening coiffure. On normal days, she would frequent Julie's salon in Orchard Towers — it was where all the _taitais_ went to have their biweekly _sai tow_ , or wash-and-blows — but for events like the annual Tattle Debutantes’ Ball, Julie came to the house to do her hair, and brought makeup assistants to ensure Eleanor's gala face was perfectly applied.

Alix burst into her dressing room just as Julie was sliding the diamond and ivory hairpins into place. Eleanor frowned at Alix’s own evening attire, which left something to be desired: her sister-in-law’s hair was loose, obscuring Su Yi’s antique jade earrings, and she wasn't even wearing lipstick.

“Something’s happened," she said breathlessly; "It's about Nick," and Eleanor felt a jolt of urgency shoot through her. 

With some effort, she managed to retain her composure. If the news had been serious, someone other than Alix would have come to deliver it.

Julie glanced at Alix, and back at Eleanor. “We’re done here, Mrs Young,” she said, gathering her things and discreetly motioning to the assistants to take their leave.

Eleanor waited for the dressing room door to close behind her before raising her eyebrows at Alix. “What’s happened?” she asked, her voice appropriately glacial.

“Jacqueline just rang. Nick and Amanda have called it off!” 

Eleanor found herself temporarily at a loss for words. Nick had been seeing Jacqueline Ling’s only daughter, Amanda, for the last ten months. This union had been the product of years of covert match-making, dating from the time they were children: years of joint music lessons, dance lessons, after-school remedial Mandarin classes. Last year when the Lings’ driver, Ahmad, had gone on medical leave, Eleanor had had Chang take Amanda along on Nick’s school run. Then there had been the Saturday afternoon teas at Tyersall Park, presided over by a beaming Su Yi. 

Jacqueline was Su Yi’s favourite god-daughter — the Lings were the only family in Singapore older than the Shangs, and Jacqueline was the heiress to the Ling Yin Chow fortune. In fact, if the Old Lady had had her way, Jacqueline and not Eleanor would have been Philip’s wife.

There had been only one thing which Eleanor hadn’t been willing to give up for Philip, and that was Philip himself — and Su Yi had never let her forget it. But she had hoped that Su Yi would see this was the next best thing. If the Old Lady couldn’t have Jacqueline for her Philip, she could have Jacqueline’s daughter for Philip’s beloved son. And of course securing a favourable match meant Nick’s place as his grandmother’s heir would be assured.

She made herself speak calmly. “Did Jacqueline say why they broke up?”

“She thinks they had a fight and Nick called it off.” Alix shuddered. " _Aiyoh_ , what a thing to happen! And right before their debut at the Tattle Ball, too!"

Gathering herself, Eleanor aimed a single, withering look at Alix, who had the grace to look somewhat apologetic. Then she took a deep breath. She was entirely in control of herself; it would take more than this small diversion to derail her or her carefully mapped-out route. 

She pulled a yoga zip-up over her sequinned Balenciaga gown and reached for her phone.

*

Driving above the speed limit, Chang got her to the front gate of Tyersall Park in fifteen minutes. Lien Jie let her in, and she hurried up the main staircase toward the eastern wing of the house where Nick had lived since he was a boy. 

Nick answered the door in a t-shirt and sweat pants. His tux was discarded in a corner of the room; he’d clearly decided to give the Debutantes’ Ball a miss. His eyes were red and puffy from crying, though he smiled a little when he saw her.

“Mum! You heard already?”

“News travels fast in this town.” Eleanor swept into his bathroom and wrung out a cool cloth for him to wipe his face. 

He rubbed his eyes and then blew his nose into the cloth as if he was still a toddler. Eventually, he said, muffled, "I’m sorry. I know how much you liked her."

Eleanor frowned. “It's not important that I liked her, son. It’ll upset your Ah Ma — she’s very fond of Amanda, and of Amanda’s family.”

Nick nodded. “Amanda kept telling me that, actually. I never really got it.”

Eleanor narrowly held back a snort. She should have known Jacqueline would have mentioned Su Yi’s regard to Amanda. Perhaps she should have been similarly plain-speaking with Nick — after all, their world was filled with hard-nosed practical considerations, and alliances that were less about love and more for the advancement of business and family. Some sacrifices would have to be made; Eleanor knew this only too well.

“You both are still very young,” she said, quietly. “It takes time to get to know someone. And if something’s important, you need to be prepared to work hard at it. I didn’t raise you to give up easily, did I?”

Of course, Eleanor hadn’t actually raised Nick herself at all. Instead, she’d sent him to Su Yi’s house to be raised — another sacrifice, and one that had paid off.

Nick looked stricken. “Mum, I did try, I promise. But she was always talking about our families, about who’s dating who and who’s rich and who isn’t rich enough. I don’t like who I am when I’m with her. And she says she loves me, but she sure as heck doesn’t like me very much.”

Eleanor didn’t know why she wasn’t more surprised. Amanda was always perfectly well behaved in front of her, poised and warmly polite. But underneath everything, she was clearly her mother’s child.

Perhaps Eleanor had overlooked this in her eagerness to plan for Nick’s future.

She squared her shoulders. She would not condemn Nick to a life of practical, cold-blooded business considerations, a life without real love. She might be willing to sacrifice herself to secure Nick’s happiness, but she would not insist Nick sacrifice himself.

“All right,” she said, surrendering the dream of reclaiming Su Yi’s approval, at least for now. “It sounds like Amanda has some growing up to do. And you do deserve to be with someone who likes you.”

Nick’s tight hug took her by surprise; they weren’t huggers in their family. Reflexively, she petted his hair.

“Sorry I messed up your Tattle Ball entrance tonight! I don’t think I’m up to it, but you should totally still go.”

“It’s not an issue,” Eleanor said. She made an effort to smile indulgently at her son. “I’ll let them know we can’t make it, and apologise to Gil later. But for now, why don’t we go to Sloane Court to get ourselves some comfort food instead.”

Nick’s eyes lit up; for a moment he was a child again, and on an excursion with his mother for ice cream or old-school oxtail stew and Hainanese pork chop. Then he hesitated.

“Aren’t you’re a bit overdressed for Sloane Court?”

Eleanor said, briskly, “Nonsense. There’s no more important occasion than the time I get to spend with you.” 

As she descended the staircase on Nick’s arm, careful of her gown, she could not help feeling the pang of regret. Here was yet another plan shelved, and she would need to start again.

She had missed so much of his life while she’d been working, planning, sacrificing. She hoped the parts she had not missed would be enough for him, and for both of them.

And as for the future Mrs Nick Young … well. She _should_ like Nick; in fact, she should love Nick enough to sacrifice as much of herself as Nick’s mother had. 

Eleanor would make sure of it if it was the last thing she did.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Miss M and raspberryhunter for the timely assist!


End file.
